Apple Inc. joins global initiative, committed to renewable energy

San Francisco, Sep 20 (IANS) Apple Inc. has joined a global renewable energy initiative to extend its clean energy plan into the manufacturing supply chain.

Lisa Jackson, vice president for environment, policy and social initiatives with the company behind the iPhone and iPad, announced joining RE100, a collaborative, global initiative of influential businesses committed to 100 per cent renewable electricity, in her remarks at Climate Week in New York City (NYC) late on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Launched at Climate Week NYC 2014 and now with 73 members, RE100 believes that switching the private sector’s energy demand, which accounts for about half of the world’s electricity consumption, to renewables will accelerate the transformation of the global energy market and aid the transition to a low carbon economy.

About Apple’s membership, “we’re happy to stand beside other companies that are working toward the same effort,” said Jackson, adding “We’re excited to share the industry-leading work we’ve been doing to drive renewable energy into the manufacturing supply chain, and look forward to partnering with RE100 to advocate for clean-energy policies around the world.”

While the company powered 93 per cent of its operations around the world with renewable energy in 2015, it claims to power its operations in the US, China and 21 other countries with 100 per cent renewable energy now and pledges to continue to invest in high-quality, clean energy projects to help it meet and maintain its goal.

Jackson announced that Apple has completed construction on its latest renewable energy project, a 50-megawatt solar farm in the state of Arizona, to power its global command data centre in Mesa, Arizona.

On the work to help manufacturing partners make the same transition, Jackson said Apple suppliers’ commitments will represent over 1.5 billion kilowatt hours per year of clean energy used in the manufacturing of Apple products by the end of 2018.

With the iPhone as its current flagship product, Apple designs, develops and sells consumer electronics, computer software and online services, leaving manufacturing operations, presumably the most energy-consuming part of value creation, to its partners outside the United States.

In mid-August, Apple said Lens Technology, a Chinese company, promised to run its glass production for Apple on entirely renewable energy by the end of 2018.